Cotton-chopper.



D. H. CALLAHANV COTTON SHOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.14, 190B.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

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wi/t'naooeo D. H. OALLAHAN.

COTTON CHOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 190B.

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UNITED STATE ra'rnnr enrich.

DAVID HARRISS CALLAHAN, OF WESTBROOK, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIG'NOR OF ONE-THIRD TO GASTON O. LEWIS AND ONE-THIRD TO SIMON A. LEWIS, OF KELLY,NORTH CAROLINA.

COTTON-CHOPPER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID Hannrss CAL- PAHAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, resid- 1 mg at WVestbrook, in the county of Bladen and State ofNorth Carolina, have invented a new and useful Cotton-Chopper, of whichthe following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in cotton choppers.

The ob'eet of the present invention is to improve t e construction ofcotton choppers, and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensiveone, capable of effectively blocking out and thinning cotton plants, andadapted also to cultivate the same by throwing the soil inward towardsthe plants.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cotton chopper oflight construction, adapted to be readily handled by the driver, andhaving means for enabling the cotton chopping mechanism to be readilythrown out of operation without stopping the team.

Another object of the invention is to enable the cotton chopping bladesor hoes, the cultivating blades and the frame of the machine to beadjusted vertically to obtain the desired sweep of the cotton choppingmechanism.

Nith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claimshereto -appended; it being understood that various changes in the form,proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope ofthe claims, may be resorted to with out departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cotton chopper,constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on theline 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is a similar view on the line 4-4, of Fig. 2.Fig. 5 is. a detail Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 14, 1908.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

Serial No. 121,165.

{perspective view, illustrating the arrangement of the operating leverand the means for adjusting the resilient runner.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

The frame of the cotton chopper comprises a front axle 1, side rods 2and 3, and. a rear transverse connecting bar 41, to which an inclinedhandle 5 is centrally connected. Although a single handle is illustratedin the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that a pair of handlesmay be used, if desired. The side rods are provided at their rear endswith upwardly and rearwardly inclined extensions, forming braces 6,which are secured at their upper ends to the inclined handle at oppositesides thereof. 1 The front ends of the side rods are suitably connectedto the front axle, which receives a traction wheel 7 and a carryingwheel 8.

The traction wheel is equipped at its inner side with a sleeve 9, onwhich is mounted a gear wheel 10, and the latter is rotated by thetraction wheel when the cotton chopper is drawn forward. The gear wheel10 meshes with a pinion 11, preferably formed integral with a hollowshaft or sleeve 12, which is slidably mounted on the side rod 2 toenable the pinion 11 to be moved into and out of mesh with the gearwheel 10. The sleeve carries a hub or collar 13, preferably secured tothe sleeve 12 by a set screw 1 1 to enable it to be adjusted along thesleeve 12, and provided with a plurality of sets of slots or open ings15 for the reception of shanks 16 of cotton chopping blades or hoes 17.The shanks are provided at intervals with indentations 18, adapted to beengaged by set screws 19, whereby the said shanks are adjustably anddetachably secured to the collar or hub 13. The shanks are slidableinwardly or outwardly to vary the sweep of the cotton chopping hoesorblades by moving the same toward andfrom the collar or hub 13, and thesaid blades or hoes are set at an angle to enable them to cut readilythrough the cotton plants without tearing the same. The blades or hoesmake a clean out, which is not affected by the forward movement of thecotton chopper. The diflerent sets of slots or openings enable theshanks 16 to be arranged at different points along the collar, and theyincrease the range of adjustment afforded by the set screw 14.

The pinion 11 is held in mesh with the gear wheel 10 by a coiled spring20, when the cotton chopping mechanism is in operation.

The spring 20, which is disposed on the side rod 2, is interposedbetween the rear end of the sleeve and a stop 21, consisting of a sleevehaving an annular enlargement or flange, arranged to receive the rearend of the coiled spring 20. The stop is secured to the rod 2 by a setscrew 22 and is adjustable along the side rod 2 to vary the tension ofthe spring 20.

The rear end of the sleeve 12 is connected with a transverse lever 23 bya longitudinal rod 24, provided at its rear end with an eye 25, which islinked into a perforation of the outer end of the transverse lever 23.The front end of the rod 24 is secured in an eye 26 of a band 27,arranged on and suitably secured to the rear end of the sleeve 12. Thetransverse lever 23, which is disposed horizontally, is fulcrumed at anintermediate point on the rear transverse rod 24 by means of a bolt 28,and its inner arm is connected with the lower end of an inclinedoperating lever 29. The inclined operating lever 29, which is mounted onthe handle 5, is fulcrumed at an intermediate point by means of a bolt30, a spacing sleeve 31 being interposed between the lever and thehandle. The inner end of the transverse lever is reduced to form a pivot32, which is arranged in a slot 33 of the lower end of the operatinglever. The pivot 32 is T-shaped, and its head is passed through the slotbefore the levers are mounted on the transverse bar 4 and the handle 5and while the head is dis posed longitudinally of the slot. When theparts are assembled, the head is disposed transversely of the slots,which afford suffi l shanks 16 of the hoes or blades 17 may be cientplay to permit the operating lever to oscillate the transverse lever formoving the pinion 11 out of and into mesh with the gear 10. The innerend of the transverse lever is detachably connected with the operatinglever and the parts are readily assembled, but any other suitable meansmay be employed in pivotally connecting the levers.

The upper arm of the operating arm is arranged in a keeper 34, disposedtransversely f of the handle, which is also equipped With a beveled lug35. The upper arm of the lever has suflicient rearward movement toenable the pulley to be withdrawn from the gear 10 Without engaging thelever with the beveled lug, which, when the lever is given a furtherrearward movement, is adapted to engage the lever and lock the pinion 11out of mesh with the gear 10. By means of the operating mechanism, thedriver may instantly throw the chopping mechanism out of operationwithout stopping the team, but when the cotton chopper is to betransferred from one field or point to another, the cotton choppingmechanism is locked out of operation by engaging the lever with the lug.

The rear portion of the frame is yieldably supported by a resilientrunner, arranged centrally of the rear end of the frame and consistingof a spring, having a curved lower portion 36 and an inclined upperportion 37, secured to the front face of the inclined handle 5 by bolts38. The inclined portion of the runner is provided at intervals withperforations 39 to enable the frame to be adjusted vertically tocorrespond with the adjustments of the cotton chopping hoes or bladesand a pair of cultivating blades 40.

The aXle at the front of the frame forms a pivot for the latter in theup and down oscillatory movement incident to the employment of aresilient runner. The central arrangement of the handle between the sidebars of the frame enables the horse and the operator to walk between therows of plants, which is advantageous in both the operation of themachine and in guiding and controlling the draft animal.

The cultivating blades are spaced apart to arrange them at oppositesides of the row of plants operated on by the cotton chopping mechanism,and they are tapered and set at an angle for throwing the soil inwardlytowards the plants.

Any preferred form of cultivator blade may be employed, and the bladesare preferably equipped with vertical shanks 41, adjustably secured inslots 42 of a supporting bar 43 by means of set screws 44. The shanksare provided at intervals with perforations, and the screws extendthrough the same, but indentations similar to the provided. Thesupporting bar 43 is secured by bolts, or other suitable fasteningdevices to the front face of the rear transverse bar 4 at one endthereof. The set screws enable the cultivator blades to be raised andlowered to correspond with the adjustments of the blades or hoes and theframe of the machine.

The cotton chopper is provided at its front with a draft attachment 45for the attachment of one or more animals. The draft attachment iscomposed of two sides secured at their rear ends to the front axle. Thedraft attachment is provided at its front with a link 46, which isadapted to receive the hook or link of a whiffletree.

The cotton chopper may be equipped with a pair of shafts instead of thedraft attachment 45, if desired.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cotton chopper, the combination of a frame including side rodsand a front axle connecting the side rods and forming a pivot for theframe, a handle located at the back of the frame, a traction wheelmounted on the axle, a gear connected with the traction wheel, a sleeveslidable on one of the side rods and having a pinion meshing with thegear, and a blade or hoe carried by the sleeve.

2. In a cotton chop er, the combination of a frame including side rodsand a front aXle connecting the side rods and forming a pivot for theframe, a handle connected with the back of the frame, a traction wheelmounted on the axle, a gear connected with the traction wheel, a sleeveslidable on one of the side rods and having a pinion meshing with thegear, a blade or hoe carried by the sleeve, a spring for holding thepinion in mesh with the gear, and operating mechanism connected with thesleeve for moving the pinion out of mesh with the gear.

3. In a cotton chopper, the combination of a frame including a rod, asleeve mounted on the rod, a collar adjustably secured to the sleeve andprovided with openings, hoes or blades having shanks adjustably securedin the openings, and gearing for rotating the sleeve.

4. In a cotton chopper, the combination of a frame including a rod, asleeve mounted on the rod, a collar adjustably mounted on the sleeve andprovided with a plurality of sets of slots or openings, hoes or bladeshaving shanks to fit in the said slots or openings, means for adjustablysecuring the shanks in the slots or openings, and gearing for rotatingthe sleeve.

5. In a cotton chopper, the combination of a frame including .side rods,a handle mounted on the frame at the rear portion thereof and at a pointbetween the side rods, a sleeve slidably arranged on one of the siderods and offset laterally from the plane of the handle, gears forrotating the sleeve, one of the gears being carried by the said sleeve,a coiledspring engaging the sleeve and disposed on the adjacent siderod, an operating lever located adjacent to the said handle, and meansfor connecting the operating lever with the sleeve for moving the gearsinto and out of mesh.

6. I11 a cotton chopper, the combination of a frame including side rodsand a transverse connecting bar, a handle connected with the rearportion of the frame at a point between the side rods, a sleeve slidableon sleeve, one of the gears being carried by the latter, an operatinglever fulcrumed on the handle, a transverse lever mounted on theconnecting bar, and means for connecting the transverse lever with thesleeve.

7. In a cotton chopper, the combination with a frame including siderods, and a transverse connecting bar, a handle secured to thetransverse connecting bar at a point between the side rods, a sleeveslidable on one of the side rods and located to one side of the plane ofthe handle, gears for rotating the sleeve, one of the gears beingcarried by the latter, an operating lever, a transverse lever mounted onthe connecting bar and extending laterally from and connected with theoperating lever, means for connecting the transverse lever with thesleeve, a keeper mounted on the handle and receiving the operatinglever, and a beveled lug arranged in the path of the operating lever forlocking the same to hold the gears in mesh.

8. In a cotton chopper, the combination of a frame including side rods,a rear transverse connecting bar, and a front axle forming a pivot forthe frame, a sleeve slidably arranged on one of the side rods, atraction wheel mounted on the axle, a gear connected with the tractionwheel, a pinion carried by the sleeve and meshing with the gear, bladesor hoes mounted on the sleeve, a handle secured to the frame at the rearend thereof and located at a point between the side rods, an operatinglever fulcrumed on the handle, and a transverse lever mounted on therear connecting bar and connected with the sleeve and with the operatinglever.

9. In a cotton chopper, the combination of a frame including side rods,and a rear connecting bar, rotary cotton chopping blades or hoessupported by one of the side rods and adjustable radially to vary theirlength, means for actuating the blades or hoes, spaced cultivatingblades located in rear of the cotton chopping blades or hoes andarranged at opposite sides of the rod on which the said blades or hoesare mounted, and means for raising and lowering the cultivating bladesto adjust the same to correspond with the adjustment of the blades orhoes.

10. In a cotton chopper, the combination of a frame, adjustab e cottonchopping mechanism, a supporting bar located in rear of the cottonchopping mechanism and provided with slots or openings, spaced cultivating blades provided with shanks adjustable in the slots or openings ofthe supporting bar to correspond with the adjustment of the cottonchopping mechanism, and means for securing the said shanks in theiradjustment.

11. In a cotton chopper, the combination of a frame including side rods,cotton chop- I one of the side rods, gears for rotating the I &

ping mechanism mounted on one of the side rods, an inclined handleextending upwardly from the rear end of the frame at a point between theside rods, and a resilient runner consisting of a spring having a lowercurved portion and an inclined upper portion ad justably secured to thehandle.

12. In a cotton chopper, the combination of a frame including asupporting rod, a slidable sleeve mounted on the supporting rod, gearingfor operating the sleeve and moved out of mesh by the sliding of thesame, a transverse lever fulcrumed at an intermediate point and providedat one end with a T- shaped pivot, an operating lever having a slotdetachably receiving the T-shaped pivot, means for connecting thetransverse lever with the sleeve, and chopping mechanism carried by thesleeve.

In testimony, that l claim the foregoing as my own, I have heretoatliXed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

DAVID HARRISS CALLAHAN.

Vs itnesses A. J. EDWARDS, Jon Fl. OROMARTIE.

